Dec. 20, 2010

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern junior forward John Shurna (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) has earned his second Big Ten Player of the Week honor this season and the fourth of his career the conference office announced Monday.

Shurna led the Wildcats to a pair of victories last week, averaging 27 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2 blocked shots per game. He shot 76 percent from the field in the contests in helping Northwestern to its first 7-0 start since the 1993-94 season.

Shurna's 10-for-11 (.909) performance from the field in Monday's 81-65 win over Long Island ranks as a tie for the second-best single-game effort in school history. He tallied 26 points in the contest to go along with seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists.

In Thursday's 78-62 victory over American, Shurna scored 28 points and surpassed the 1,000 career point mark in the process. He also contributed three blocks and three steals in the game.

Shurna leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally with an average of 23.7 points per game. He's also third in the nation with a .622 3-point field goal percentage and sixth with an overall field goal percentage of .643.

Northwestern returns to action at 6 p.m. Central time Monday as it faces St. Francis (N.Y.) on the opening day of the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival.

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